Glass handling apparatus



June 27, 1939. w1 QWEN A 2,164,077

GLASS HANLING A PPARATUS Filed July 19, 1938 8 Sheets-Sheet 1v INVENToR. WILLIHM OWEN 8"@ MggoRA/EYS.

` GLASS HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 19, 1958 8 sheets-sheet 2 JNVENTOR. Wu'. L :nM OWEN y A TORNEY June 27, 1939. w. owEN I 2,154,077

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WILL/HM OWEN 6? 4June 27, 1939.

W. OWEN GLAS S HANDL ING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 19, 1958 f INVENTOR. W|| L.|FIN OWEN rw AT ORNEYS.

June 27,` 1.939. A owlal` 2,164,077

GLASS HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 19, 1938 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. WILL/mv OWEN June 27, 1939. w OWEN 2,164,077

GLASS HANDLING APPARATUS Fi1ed Ju1y 19, 1938' I a sheets-sheet e INVENTOR. WlvLLlnM OWEN BY 1Q@ Y y ToRNEYs.

June 27, 1939. w. owEN 2,164,077

GLAss HANDLINGAPPARATUS Filed July 19, 1938 8 sheets-sheet '7 v INVENTOR. //LL/HM Owe/V m27, 1939. VWQWEN 2,164,017 GLAss HANDLING APPARA'HJS` Filed July 19, 1938 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 IN V EN TOR. MLA/HM OWEN Patented June 27, 1939 UNITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE GLASS HANDLING APPARATUS y YWilliam Owen, Pittsburgh, `Pa., asslgnor to Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, Allegheny County, Pa., a corporationof Pennsylvania Application July 19, 1938, Serial No. 220,052 r 17 Claims.

The present invention relates to glass handling apparatus and more particularly to a mechanism for inserting protective separators between, and

applying identification markers to, stacked sheets of glass preliminary to packaging therein for shipping.

One object of the invention is to provide apparatus. which will automatically and systematically separate sheets of glass lin a stack and insert spacer papers between the sheets.

A second object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing type which will automatically apply adhesive labels to the sheets of glass.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof.

In packaging of glass sheets or plates such as window glass or the like, for shipment or storage, it is common practice to insert sheets of paper between the contacting surfaces in order to prevent chemical or physical damage which sometimes occurs when glass contacts with glass. Likewise, it is common practice to stick labels or other indicia to the glass in order to identify its origin or for other purposes.

These operations have heretofore been performed manually and since millions of sheets were to be so treated it will be apparent that much labor was involved in performing them.

In the construction constituting the present invention an intermittently moving conveyor system upon which sheets of glass can be stacked on edge is provided. Mechanism is also provided automatically to lift each sheet upwardly and then to swing it away from the stack while a label is alxed thereto and a sheet of paper is inserted between it and the stack.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may now be had to the drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the inven- 'tion;

45 u Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the conveyor and stamprails.

(ci. 21e- 1) views of a combined label magazine and label aflixing device;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View, taken through one of the conveyors for the glass plates;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary detailed view of a mechanism for actuating the conveyor;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View substantially upon the line XI-Xl of Figure 3f;

Figure l2 is a fragmentary detail View ofa 1g portion of one of the .conveyors showing the lower edges of the plates of glass in position thereupon.

As shown in Figure 1, the apparatus comprises longitudinal beams 2 which are interconl5 nected by transverse beams 3 to provideI a frame that is supported upon fixed castors 4, and swivelling front 'castor 5, the latter of which is provided 'with a pivoted handle bar 5a, by means of which the apparatus may be drawn about.

The framework further comprises two pairs of vertical supports, the forward pair 6 of which is secured to intermediate portions of beams 2 While the rearward pair l is secured adjacent to the rear extremities of the same beams. At their upper extremities, these supports are lnterconnected by longitudinal bars or rails 8 and transverse angle bars 9. The bars 8, as shown, are horizontal, but if preferred may be downwardly inclined at any desired angle. 30

A second set of supports comprising plates II are secured to the beams 2 at each corner of the framework and are transversely interconnected by angle bars I2. Sides I3 of the bars are suitably notched to receive a plurality, e. g., four horizontal guide rails I5.

Longitudinally projecting brackets I6 and I 'I are secured to sides of rails I5 and constitute bearings fortransverse shafts I8 and I9 which carry a series of sprocket gears (shown in Figure 1) at the ends of rails I5. Conveyor chains 2l are trainedabout the sprockets and comprisev rollers 22 (shown in Fig. 9) that ride upon'f'sai'd- The rollers are connected together'by i links 23having brackets 24, that carry covering' strips or belts 25 of rubber or similar flexible cushioning material. These belts carry sheets of glass 26 stacked in upwardly inclined position.

The plates are supported in inclined position upon the conveyors b'y means of blocks 2l best` 50 shown in Fig. 3). These blocks may be lockecl"V upon the chains by means of a `pair of bell-crank levers 28 pivoted thereto and having downwardly directed arms 29 that may engage rollers 22 between belts 25. Arms 30 of the levers overlap 55 each other and may be simultaneously operated to actuate the arms 29 into engagement with the rollers by means of a screw 3| threaded through lugs 32 upon the blocks.

Motion is intermittently transmitted to the conveyor chains by a mechanism which includes (as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 10) a cluster 33 of gears of different pitch diameters keyed upon shaft I9. A pair of arms 34, best shown in Fig. 10, are also journaled upon the shaft upon opposite sides of the cluster and are interconnected by a shaft 35 upon which is pivoted a pawl 36 which may be adjusted transversely upon the shaft to engage any gear surface in the cluster.

A block 31 is disposed between the arms at the extremities thereof and is bored slidably to receive a downwardly extending rod 38. Thisrod is yieldably held from movement in the block by a nut 39 adjacent to its upper extremity and by a helical spring 40 which at its upper extremity engages the lower surface of block 31 and its lower extremity engages a collar 4I upon rod 38. Preferably the hole or opening in block 31 is` of such size as to permit of considerable play of the rod 38. At its lower extremity the rod is journaled upon the pin 42 of a crank 43 which is keyed upon the extremity of the output shaft 44 (shown in Fig. 1) of a combined motor and speed reducing unit 45, which unit is mounted upon beam 3. Manual activation of the shaft I9 in order rapidly to advance the conveyor chains 2| may also be effected by means of a crank 46.

Mechanism for consecutively separating from the stack the sheets of glass restingvupon their edges upon the conveyor chains 22 comprise rollers 50 (shown in Figs. 2 and 3), journaled in bearing brackets 5| which are secured upon the sides of rails I5. Each roller is provided with a ute or toe 52 (shown in Fig. 3) preferably of rubber or similar material adapted successively to engage and raise the lower edges of glass sheets or plates in the stack. The rollers are also provided at their extremities with gears 53 (shown in Fig. 2), which engage gears 54 upon studs 56 which project from the brackets 5|. The latter gears are driven by pinions 51 keyed upon a shaft 58, which in turn is journaled in bearings in brackets 5|.

As shown in Figure 1 the shaft 58 is provided with a sprocket gear 6| which is engaged by a sprocket chain 62, the latter being trained about a sprocket gear 63, upon the shaft 44 of power unit 45. The sprocket chain is further trained about idler gear 10 upon a shaft 1| which operates in slots 12 in uprights 6, and extends upwardly about a sprocket gear 16 upon the extremity of a shaft 11 having bearings 18 (shown in Fig. 5), mounted upon bar 8 which interconnects members 6 and 1. The function of this shaft will be described in greater detail later.

Mechanism for pushing the upper edge or plates 26 away from the stack, to admit ofV application of a label and to admit of the insertion of sheets of paper as separators between the plates will now be described. It comprises a sleeve-like slide 19, shown in Fig. 4, mounted upon the upright 6 op* posite to chain 62 and is provided with handle 19a by means of which it may be raised or lowered. This sleeve may be locked at a predetermined position upon the upright by a latch comprising a housing 80, secured thereupon and bored slidably to receive a latch pin 8|. The pin is provided With a collar 82 and a helical spring 83 coiled about the pin and engaging the collar at one end and engaging the inner face ofthe housing at the other end actuates the pin into engagement with a selected opening 84 in the support 6.

to hold the sleeve at a desired height thereupon.

The slide, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is provided upon its inner face with a rearwardly directed web 85 having an upwardly inclined ledge 86 along its lower edge. In the ledge, as shown in Fig. 11, is formed a longitudinal groove 81 of L-shaped cross-sectional contour to provide an overhanging lip 88. In the grooves is slidably disposed a rack bar 89having teeth 90 and being formed with a longitudinal groove 9| that receives lip 88. The bottom portion of the groove is rabbeted as indicated at 92 to receive a lip 93 upon the lower extremity of the rack bar and helical spring 94 under tension is attached thereto at its lower end. At its upper end the spring is attached to a bracket 95 which is secured across the upper end of the groove 81, and resiliently urges the rack bar rearwardly to retracted position.

A magazine slide 96 is disposed in a second guideway 91 in ledge 86 in parallelism to rack bar 89 and is operatively connected thereto by means to be described later. The magazine is formed with longitudinal grooves 98 interlocking with lateral ribs 99 in the guideway. The slide is longitudinally grooved as indicated at |00 to receive adhesive labels IOI, which are retained therein by inwardly-directed fingers |02 (shown in Figs. 7 and 8), that partially close the lower end thereof. The top of the magazine is closed by a cover |03 clipped over edge beads |04. In order to protect glass plates 26 from breakage by contact with the slide the4 lower end of the latter is, also, provided with rubber buffers |05.

As shown in Figure 4 the magazine slide is operatively connected to rack bar 89 by means of an arm |06 (Fig. 4) projecting laterally from the bar and bored slidably to receive a tubular rod |01 projecting rearwardly from the slide. A nut I 08, threaded upon the extremity of the rod, provides a stop to prevent the complete displacement of the latter from the arm |06, and is held yieldably in contact with the arm by a helical spring |09 coiled about the rod and engaging at opposite ends with the arm and the upper end of slide 96.

Adhesive labels |0| are (as shown in Figs. 4 and '7) actuated downwardly by means of a follower ||0 having a boss which tends to bend the mid portions of the labels outwardly in position more readily to contact with the plates of glass. The follower is provided with a rearwardly-extending guide rod ||2 which extends outwardly through the tubular rod |01 and a helical spring ||3 coiled about the guide rod presses the follower downwardly. Moistening of the gum upon the label in order to make it adhesive is accomplished by a wick ||4 of suitable material which hanges frolm a reservoir 5 for Water, supported upon a bracket ||6 which is secured to ledge 86.

Actuation of` rack bar 89 to cause the magazine 96 to travel downwardly to push the top of a plate 26 away from stack of unlabeled plates is effected by a segmental gear ||1, best shown in Figs. l, 3 and 4, the toothed sector IIB of which, as the gear rotates, periodically engages the rack bar 89. This gear is fixed upon a shaft |I9 which is journaled in a bearing |20 (shown in Fig. 3), upon slide 19. The shaft is provided with a sprocket gear |2| about which drive chain |22 is trained. The latter is further trained about a sprocket gear |23 journaled upon a stud shaft 44 of themotor mechanism 45, the arm 34 is oscillated by connecting rod or pitman 38, to cause pawl 36 to engage and rotate gear.y 33 through a predetermined arc. Thus the conveyors for the glass sheets are advanced to bring the next sheet into p osition to be acted upon.

The simultaneous insertion of paper separators between, and the application of labels to the sheets of glass has been described. However, it will be apparent that one or the other of these operations may be omitted. Likewise, the use of chains and gears driven by single motor in order synchronously to operate the conveyor, the plate lifting and separating device, the lable afllxing device, the paper feeding device and the paper cutting device-have been described. It will be apparent that these various mechanisms could also be operated pneumatically or electrically by pistons or electrical solenoids, cnergization of which is effected in desired time sequence by revolving cams or other timing devices that open or close control valves or switches in the system.

The form of the invention herein illustrated ls to be considered merely as illustrating the invention. Numerous modiflcatons may be made therein without departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

W'hat I claim is:

1. A method of separating smooth plates arranged in face to face contact, which comprises supporting them upon their edges in upwardly inclined position, engaging the supporting edge of the foremost plate simultaneously to lift the plate and to swing the bottom thereof forwardly, then pushing the top portion of the plate forwardly away from the plate with which it contacts.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 in which a paper sheet isinserted between the plates as they are separated.

3. A process of inserting sheets of paper between plates of glass stacked inv face to face contact, which comprises supporting the plates in stacked relation upon their lower edges in upwardly inclined position, consecutively tilting the upper edges thereof forwardly, feeding a continuous strip of paper forwardly severing separator sheets from the continuous strip in suchl manner that they fall behind the plates as they are tilted.

4. Apparatus for separating plates of glass stacked in face to face contact, comprising means to support the sheets in stacked relation upon their edges in upwardly inclined position, means consecutively to engage the bottom edges of the plates to lift the latter and means to engage the top edges thereof and tilt them forwardly.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4in which means is further 'provided to deposit a sheet of paper behind each sheet of glass as it is tilted.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which means is further provided to deposit a sheet of paper behind each sheet of glass as it is tilted, said means comprising shears to cut portions of paper from a continuous strip and drop the severed portions between the Plates.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which the means to lift the plates comprises a member rotating about a horizontal axis adjacent to the bottom edges of the plates and carrying a lug disposed to engage said edges.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which the means to lift the glass plates comprises a horizontal roller carrying a lug disposed to engage the edges of the plates as the roller rotates.

9. Apparatus for separating glass plates stacked in face to face cntact, comprising a platform for supporting the plates uponv their edges in an upwardly inclined position, means consecutively to engage and lift the bottom edges of the plates, means to engage the top edges of the plates as they are lifted and tilt them forward, and feeder mechanism ,to advance the platform as each plate is tilted.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 in which mechanismis provided to feed a sheet of paper behind each plate of glass as it is tilted.

l1. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 in which' mechanism is provided to feed a sheet of paper behind each plate of glass as it ls tilted, said mechanism comprising means to feed a strip of paper and a shear to cut oil ra. portion of the paper and to drop it behind the forwardly tilted plate.

12. Mechanism consecutively to separate plates of glass stacked in face to face contact, comprising an endless conveyor, a block mounted upon the conveyor to support the plates upon their edges in upwardly and rearwardly inclined position, a second block upon the conveyor in advance of the plates, and means to tilt the plates forwardly to rest against the latter block.

13. Mechanism consecutively to separate plates of glass stacked in face to face contact, comprising an endless conveyor, a block mounted upon the conveyor to support the plates upon their edges in upwardlyv and rearwardly inclined position, a second block upon the conveyor in advance of the plates, and means to tilt the plates forwardly to rest against the latter block, and means to drop a sheet of paper behind each plate .after it is tilted.

14. Mechanism consecutively to separate plates of glass stacked in face to face Contact, comprising an endless conveyor, a block mountedupon the conveyor to support the plates upon their edges in upwardly and rearwardly inclined position, a second block upon the conveyor in advance of the plates, and means to tilt the plates forwardly to rest against the latter block, said means to tilt the plates comprising a reciprocating label magazine interconnected with the conveyor to oscillate as each plate is advanced, and carrying gummed labels so stacked that the back of the forward label engages the rear faces of the glass plates and a device to moisten the labels prior to contact with the glass.

15. Mechanism consecutively to separate plates of glass stacked in face to face contact, comprising an endless conveyor, a block mounted upon the conveyor to support the plates upon their edges in upwardly and rearwardly inclined posi tion, a second block upon the conveyor in advance of the plates, and means to tilt the plates forwardly to rest against the latter block, said `means to tilt the plates comprising a reciprocating label magazine interconnected with the conveyor to oscillate as each plate is advanced, and carrying gummed labels so stacked that the back of the forward label engages the rear faces of the glass plates and a device to moisten the labels prior to contact with the glass, and means to drop a sheet of paper back of each plate of glass.

16. Apparatus simultaneously to separate plates of glass stacked in face to face contact and insert sheets of paper therebetween comprising a horizontaldriven roller having a flute thereupon, a horizontal conveyor disposed adjacent to the roller in position to support the plates upon their edge in upwardly inclined position amm?? with the lower edge of each plate, disposed in the path of the iiute as the roller revolves, means to advance the conveyor a distance equal to the horizontal distance through each plate, with each revolution of the roller, means to engage the upper edge of each plate while it is engaged by the flute to tilt the plate and means to insert va. sheet of` paper behind each plate after it is tilted.

17. Apparatus consecutively to separate a series of plate-like objects stacked in face to 'face relation and simultaneously to insert film-like bodies therebetween, 'comprising a platform, a support mounted upon the platform. said support having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined forward surface against which the plates recline with their lower edges resting upon the platform, a second support having an upwardly and forwardly inclined rear surface for receiving plates from the ilrst support, means to tilt plates upon the flrst support forwardly against the latter support, means relatively to feed the platform forwardly, an increment corresponding to the thickness o1' the objects after each plate lhas been tilted, and means to insert a thin film-like body behind each plate after it is tilted.

W'IILIAM OWEN. 

